SHENZHEN, China, Dec. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — iGreen Think Tank, an independent research institution specializing in sustainable development and ESG evaluation, has released its latest independent ESG research and quantitative assessment at the 3rd Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Low-Carbon and Healthy Living Environment Forum, highlighting China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.’s verified performance in low-carbon transition, governance maturity, and long-term sustainability capability based on a standardized, data-driven methodology.
On November 15, iGreen Think Tank, an independent research institution specializing in sustainable development and green finance, convened the 3rd Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area Low-Carbon and Healthy Living Environment Forum at the Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center.
As the organizer of the forum, iGreen Think Tank brought together real estate developers, technology providers, industry associations, and research institutions to examine structural trends in low-carbon transition, healthy buildings, and long-term ESG value creation in the real estate sector.
During the forum, iGreen Think Tank presented key findings from its ongoing industry research and formally released insights from the 2025 Real Estate Industry ESG and Carbon Neutrality Index Research, a longitudinal assessment built on a proprietary data platform and a standardized quantitative evaluation framework. The research emphasizes that, as regulatory and technical conditions mature, governance quality, transparency, and system-level execution capability are becoming the decisive factors differentiating corporate ESG performance.
Independent Evaluation and Recognition Based on Quantitative Methodology
Based on the results of this research, iGreen Think Tank recognized China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd. (COLI) with several distinctions, including Top 10 Green Real Estate Competitiveness, Low-Carbon Real Estate Pioneer, and the ESG Excellence Award.
According to iGreen Think Tank, these recognitions are derived exclusively from objective data analysis, long-term tracking, and a consistent indicator system, rather than self-reported narratives or one-off project achievements. The evaluation methodology emphasizes comparability, auditability, and replicability across the industry.
iGreen Think Tank further noted that its ESG index and evaluation system operate on a non-commercial, public-interest basis. No participation or assessment fees are charged, and the process is insulated from commercial influence. This independence is a core reason why the research outcomes have been repeatedly cited by mainstream Chinese media outlets such as Xinhua Net and China National Radio, and increasingly referenced in professional ESG discussions.
From Project-Based Performance to System-Level ESG Capability
From a research perspective, iGreen Think Tank stresses that sustainable corporate performance can no longer be assessed through isolated pilot projects alone. Instead, it requires evidence of integrated governance structures, alignment between strategy and implementation, and transparent disclosure mechanisms across carbon management, green operations, and ecological responsibility.
COLI’s performance in the 2025 index reflects, in iGreen Think Tank’s analysis, a relatively mature ESG framework linking strategy, standards, technology deployment, and ecological considerations. These characteristics make the company’s practices relevant not only as individual case studies, but also as data-supported benchmarks within a broader analytical framework.
Forum Discussions: Technology, Ecology, and Governance as Long-Term Value Drivers
At the forum, COLI shared two thematic presentations — “Haizhichuang Low-Carbon Energy Solutions Empowering Better Housing” and “China Overseas’ Approach to Biodiversity Conservation”. iGreen Think Tank views these contributions as illustrative of emerging industry priorities: moving beyond energy efficiency alone toward lifecycle carbon management, and expanding ESG practice to include nature-based solutions and biodiversity governance.
China Overseas Technology: Building Underlying Capabilities for “ Better Housing ” with Smart Energy Systems
The sharing by China Overseas Technology at the forum presented a new possibility —Better Housing is no longer just a physical product, but a sustainable smart energy system. Covering the entire lifecycle of “design, construction, operation, and renovation,” the system enables buildings to proactively manage energy consumption through modules such as monitoring, analysis, diagnosis, prediction, and quota setting.
What truly reflects COLI’s “Trendsetting” value is that this capability is not confined to its own projects but shared with the industry through an open ecosystem. Technology is not an enterprise’s moat, but a ladder for the entire industry to climb upward together. This attitude of “turning leadership into replicability” embodies COLI’s sense of mission as a large enterprise in the low-carbon transformation stage and constitutes a coherent evidence chain of “innovation – implementation – openness” in its ESG system.
“China Overseas’ Answer to Biodiversity Conservation”: Adding Ecological Depth to Sustainability
The other keynote speech, “China Overseas’ Answer to Biodiversity Conservation,” showcased another dimension of ESG — ecological restoration and the reconstruction of natural value. As the first mainland real estate enterprise to release a “Biodiversity Conservation Report,” COLI has integrated Nature-based Solutions (NbS) into the full lifecycle of its projects. Through practices such as ecological sensitivity surveys, urban microhabitat creation, and water environment restoration, it has transformed “ecological responsibility” from a public welfare slogan into a measurable professional system.
In the global evolution of ESG, the Environmental (E) dimension no longer only refers to carbon emissions, but also incorporates ecological protection, natural value, and long-term environmental risk management. Thanks to its systematicness, transparency, and auditability, COLI’s biodiversity practices have not only provided a methodology for the industry, but also positioned it at the forefront in the “deep water zone” of ESG.
From the perspective of international ESG evaluation, iGreen Think Tank highlighted that environmental performance is increasingly assessed not only through emissions intensity, but also through ecological risk management, transparency, and long-term resilience. Practices that can be systematically measured and disclosed are therefore gaining relevance in global ESG assessment frameworks.
Strengthening Market Credibility Through Independent Research
In closing, iGreen Think Tank emphasized that the Greater Bay Area is becoming a key testing ground for low-carbon and healthy living innovation. Through forums, continuous data-driven research, and publicly accessible evaluation methodologies, the Think Tank aims to support capital markets, rating agencies, and policymakers with credible, evidence-based insights into corporate ESG performance.
The 3rd Greater Bay Area Low-Carbon and Healthy Living Environment Forum thus served not only as an industry exchange platform, but also as a research-anchored disclosure moment, reinforcing the role of independent methodology and transparent data in shaping the future of sustainable real estate investment.
About China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd.
China Overseas Land & Investment Ltd. (COLI) affiliated to China State Construction Engineering Corporation Limited, was founded in Hong Kong in 1979, listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange in 1992, and included in the Hang Seng Index constituent stocks in 2007. Stock code: 00688.HK. With over 40 years of development, the company has established three major industrial groups: “Real Estate Development,” “Operational Businesses,” and “Ecological Businesses,” with a presence in 90 cities in the Chinese mainland, Hong Kong SAR, Macao SAR, and overseas. The company has been recognized as a Sustainable Blue-Chip Real Estate Enterprise and a Leading Brand in China’s Real Estate Industry for 21 consecutive years. It holds credit ratings of A- from Fitch, A- from Standard & Poor’s, and Baa2 from Moody’s — leading in the industry — and ranks first in brand value in the sector.
About iGreen Think Tank
www.iGreen.org
iGreen Think Tank is a professional research institution dedicated to green building and real estate sustainable development in China. Over the past decade, it has continuously built an industry-trusted evaluation system, from the “Carbon Neutrality Index” to a series of ESG and low-carbon research, becoming an important reference for the industry. Its research covers the entire chain of policies, standards, technologies, and markets, and influences the strategic orientation of real estate enterprises through rigorous methodologies and cross-enterprise benchmarking capabilities.
As one of the earliest domestic institutions to systematically track SBTi (Science Based Targets initiative), healthy living, and low-carbon technology paths, iGreen not only shapes industry trends through annual reports, forums, and indices, but also promotes enterprises to move from strategic commitments to quantitative management through digital tools such as “iGreen Carbon Cloud.” It plays a key role in improving real estate enterprises’ ESG ratings, enhancing capital market recognition, and accelerating the implementation of Better Houses and low-carbon transformation.
Contact: Junpeng Huang, huangjp@igreen.org
